Glue applicator



Dec. 5, 1967 w, rrc JR" ET AL 3,356,068

GLUE APPLICATOR HZIIIZZI: :Ifll

Filed 001,. 31, 1966 INVENTORS AEPOJ W FP/7Cfi/ NED E. LEE BY 5.

ATTORLZ United States Patent Ofiice 3,356,068 GLUE APPLICATOR Leroy W. Fritch, Jr., and Ned E. Lee, Vienna, W.Va., as-

signors to Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 31, 1966, Ser. No. 590,861 3 Claims. (Cl. 118-244) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A glue applicator that may be utilized to apply glue to packaging materials irrespective of whether the packaging materials are in proper alignment with each other or with the glue applicator as they are passed thereby.

It is normal procedure to apply a glue line to packages or containers such as bags and boxes to prevent their slipping and sliding 'When stacked for either storage or shipment. This glue line is normally provided by a mechanical glue applicator.

Prior to this invention, glue applicators utilized to apply glue lines on packages and containers normally required adjustment to compensate for improper alignment of the containers or packages as they passed the glue applicator. Inasmuch as many of the containers or packages that passed by the glue applicators were either out of alignment with each other or slightly tipped from vertical, it was necessary to continuously readjust the applicator to compensate for position changes in the packages or containers. In many cases, no glue would be applied to a package or container that was not in alignment with the previous package or container passing the applicator. This resulted in one package receiving a coating of glue and the second package receiving no glue on its surface.

This invention is directed to a glue applicator which is of simple construction and which is capable of applying glue to a package as it passes by irrespective of whether the package is in perfect alignment with or tipped from the previous package or container.

Briefly described, this invention is a glue applicator comprised of a disc having a rounded or bevelled edge which is pivotally mounted on a connecting rod, which connecting rod is pivotally mounted on its opposing end on a supporting member. The disc thus has movement with respect to the connecting rod as well as with respect to the supporting member. The glue applying disc has a container associated therewith containing glue, which glue is picked up by the edge of the disc as the disc turns on its axis. The glue applicator will be more fully understood in view of the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a top view of the glue applicator;

FIGURE 2 shows a cross-section side view of the glue applicator along lines 22 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 shows a perspective view of the applicator as it is used to apply a glue line to a package or carton as it is passing the applicator.

Reference will now be made to the drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

FIGURE 1 shows a top view of the glue applicator, generally indicated as 8, of this invention, which is comprised of a rotatable disc applicator member such as a bevel edged disc applicator member pivotally mounted on a connecting rod 14 which, in turn, is pivotally mounted on a supporting member 18 via a pivot pin 16. The tension on pivot pin 16 makes it possible to adjust the applicator member at a greater angle from a vertical line through pin 16. Though the applicator 3,356,068 Patented Dec. 5, 1967 member is shown as a bevel edged disc, a hemispheric or rounded outer surface on the applicator disc would be equally operable.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 22 of FIGURE 1 and shows the detailed construction of the glue applicator of this invention. As shown in FIGURE 2, the rotatable applicator member 10 has a bevelled outer periphery for picking up glue from a receptacle 30 and transferring the glue to a package or container. The applicator member 10 may be constructed of wood, steel or the like and the outer facing 20 may be constructed of the same material as the member 10, however, is preferably constructed of a porous material, such as felt or the like, which will absorb the glue for applying it to a package or container. Applicator member 10 is attached to connecting rod 14 by a ball 12 and socket 13 assembly mounted on the upper surface by means of screws or the like. The ball and socket assembly is placed within a guard member 21 which serves to prevent glue from container 30 entering the ball and socket assembly.

Connecting rod 14 containing ball end 12 fitted within socket 13 is provided with a coil spring 24 which is backed by washer plate 26. Plate 26 is fixedly attached on rod 14 by a pin 28. The coil spring 24 is compressed so as to exert pressure on the upper face of applicator member 10 and cause rod 14 to remain perpendicular to the upper surface of applicator member 10. Spring 24 extends around socket 13 and allows rotatable spplicator member 10 to turn on its axes and retains connecting rod 14 in a position perpendicular to applicator member 10 until such time that a package or container causes member 10 to move at an angle to connecting rod 14. When a package or container passes rotatable applicator member 10, member 10 will move to a position other than perpendicular to rod 14 and the pressure exerted by spring 24 will cause member 10 to again become perpendicular to connecting rod 14. Thus, member 10 has universal movement with respect to a given predetermined plane.

As shown, the edge of applicator member 10 extends into a glue receptacle 30 which is filled with glue. A portion 19 of the supporting member frame 18 is used as a backing member for connecting rod 14 which prevents rearward movement of member 10 and tipping of the glue receptacle 30 within frame 18. As member 10 turns on its axis by bail 12 within socket 13, the outer edge 20 of member 10 moves down into the receptacle and retains a portion of glue on its outer edge from container 30.

It will be noted that the glue applicator 8 is adjustable in two respects, i.e., with respect to the angle of the rod 14 of supporting member 18, which may be changed as above-mentioned, and also by adjusting the pivot pin 16 so as to move the whole assembly upward and outward from the frame member 18. In this manner, a greater portion of member 10 may be moved out from frame member 18. The ball and socket assembly combined with pin 16 provides universal movement of the applicator member from a predetermined plane. This adjustability makes, it possible to reach a package or container that is not in alignment with the previous one as well as to apply glue to a container that is not vertical but is slightly tipped from vertical.

FIGURE 3 shows a conveyor 32 used to move a bag or carton 34 adjacent the edge 20 of applicator disc 10 to allow the disc 10 to place a glue line 36 on a bag or container. The support member 18 for the glue applicator 8 may be mounted on a vertical support member 38 by means of brackets 40. Brackets 40 allow for vertical adjustment of the glue applicator on support member 38.

Operation To apply glue to a package or container, the conveyor 32 is started and a package or container is moved past the rotatable applicator member 10. Applicator member is thereby contacted and turned on its axis by virtue of the bag or container moving adjacent the rotatable member 10. Member 10 picks up glue from the receptacle 30 as shown in FIGURE 2 and applies a strip of its along the side of the bag or container.

The excess glue adhering to the top of member 10 is prevented from entering ball and socket assembly 12 and 13 by guard member 21. If the package or container is too close to the glue applicator, member 10 will seek a position such as shown in dotted outline 42a on FIGURE 3. If the package or container is slightly tipped, the edge of the applicator member 10 will seek a position shown in solid outline 42 of FIGURE 3. Thus, the glue applicator is capable of applying a glue line to a bag or container that is not in alignment with the previous bag i.e., closer or further from the applicator than the previous bag, as well as a bag that is not vertical, i.e., tipped outwardly from the applicator.

It should be understood that While this invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof, that this is by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and that the scope of the invention is defined solely by the appended claims, which should be construed as broadly as is consistent with the prior art.

What is claimed is:

1. A glue applicator for applying a glue line to a package or container, said applicator comprised of:

a support member;

a rotatable applicator member adapted to cooperate with a glue-containing receptacle;

a connecting rod pivotally attached at one end to said support member and pivotally attached at its opposing end to the central portion of the upper surface of said rotatable applicator member;

said applicator member adapted to turn on its axis to immerse itself in said glue receptacle and transfer glue from said receptacle to its outer periphery and apply said glue to a package or container that comes in contact with the edge of said applicator member.

2. The glue applicator of claim 1 wherein said connecting rod is connected to said applicator member by means of a ball and socket assembly to provide universal movement of said applicator member from a predetermined plane.

3. The glue applicator of claim 1 wherein said connecting rod is connected to said applicator member by means of a ball and socket assembly and wherein spring means are associated with said connecting rod and adapted to exert pressure on said applicator member and return it to a predetermined plane when it is moved from said predetermined plane.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 849,777 4/1907 Freestate 15-560 1,996,067 4/1935 Hadaway 118258 X 2,357,471 9/1944 Ialhert 118-244 3,001,505 9/1961 Novick 118244 X CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

R. I. SMITH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A GLUE APPLICATOR FOR APPLYING A GLUE LINE TO A PACKAGE OR CONTAINER, SAID APPLICATOR COMPRISED OF: A SUPPORT MEMBER; A ROTATABLE APPLICATOR MEMBER ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH A GLUE-CONTAINING RECEPTACLE; A CONNECTING ROD PIVOTALLY ATTACHED AT ONE END TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBER AND PIVOTALLY ATTACHED AT ITS OPPOSING END TO THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID ROTATABLE APPLICATOR MEMBER; SAID APPLICATOR MEMBER ADAPTED TO TURN ON ITS AXIS TO IMMERSE ITSELF IN SAID GLUE RECEPTACLE AND TRANSFER GLUE FROM SAID RECEPTACLE TO ITS OUTER PERIPHERY AND APPLY SAID GLUE TO A PACKAGE OR CONTAINER THAT COMES IN CONTACT WITH THE EDGE OF SAID APPLICATOR MEMBER. 